Mrs.Malfoy???

What is happening?

The next morning, Gryffindor Common Room

Hermione is sitting on the sofa, chewing her quill and mindlessly staring at the parchment on her lap. Harry gets down the stairs leading a hesitant Ron. He scrunches his nose seeing an attentionless Hermione, then snaps his fingers in front of her face which jolts her out of her trance.

She looks up at their faces and gives them a smile. "Oh! When did you two get here?"

Harry smiles back and sits beside her.He pats the seat beside him motioning Ron to sit. "Good morning to you too Mione and we got here when you were staring at the parchment for god knows how long." 

"I was just making a report of the class in which we had made Felix Felicis."

"Why?" Ron scratched his head. "Slughorn hadn't said us to do so."

"I just wanted to. In case I forget it in future."

"Typical" Ron scoffed.

"Yeah. Typical of you to scoff." Hermione twisted her mouth.

"Cut it out, will you Mione? What is going inside your head?" Harry asked with a stern face.

"I - I was just thinking how horrible my life is going to be. Because of this law, I'm going to get married to the very person who had called me foul names and no matter how much I try to forget the fact that Lucius Malfoy is a former death eater, I just can't. I know his behavior towards me is not a redemption but his plan." Tear starts to form in her eyes.So, she hides her face with her hands.

"See this is the type of reaction I was hoping for." Ron interrupted.Harry gives him a confused look.Realizing what he had said, he stutters, " I didn't mean it that way. I was just saying that you don't have to put up a brave front every time Mione."

Hermione wipes her tears, puts her quill and parchment inside the bag and exits the room, Harry and Ron following her to the Great Hall.

The Great Hall

Hermione walks towards the Gryffindor table. While doing so, she passes through a certain Slytherin reading a book. Their eyes meet for a second then he lowers his eyes back to the pages of his book.She goes and sit besides Ginny.Ginny had just finished her breakfast. She greets Hermione with a smile and Harry with a side hug. 

"Meet you at the team meeting." She then glances at Ron and  the other Quidditch team members.

Draco was eyeing this whole exchange and becomes confused when Ginny doesn't acknowledge Hermione on this matter. He shouts from the other side of the table. "Hey Granger! Aren't you in the team too?"

Hermione looks up from The Daily Prophet. "Oh, I was just bluffing that day."

"What?"

"Never mind." She looks back to the newspaper.

"Mental that one". Draco mutters to Blaise, who was beside him, focused on his plate only. Despite giving up on his place in the Slytherin Quidditch Team in his sixth year, he had again participated in the trails and had got selected in the team this year.

He got up from his place and shouted "All of my fellow team members, gather in the common room at 8 and join me to discuss the downfall of these Gryffindorks this year." Some of the members laughed while the other smirked.

"He hasn't changed at all, has he?" Harry shakes his head.

Hermione lets out a sigh and shakes her head too.

After the breakfast, the students start making their way to their respective classes. Hermione was walking towards Charms classes with books clutched to her chest when somebody grabs her hand from behind. Turning back, she glares at the person who dared to do so.  Draco lets go of her hand and starts wiping his hand with his robes. She immediately feels humiliated. Draco noticing this, explains " Wash your hand after meals, Granger. They are all greasy."

Hermione feels a bit good after hearing this as she thought his previous action was due to his prejudice towards muggleborns.

"Anyways since you are not in the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, you will surely cheer for me this time, won't you, Mrs Malfoy?" Amusement flickered briefly in his eyes.

"I don't side with the losers, Malfoy." Hermione smirked and headed towards the class leaving a raging Draco Malfoy.